Design changes to Miami Worldcenter’s retail portion approved

Structure calls for 81k sf of retail and 1,100 parking spaces

Miami Worldcenter, Nitin Motwani and Art Falcone
Miami Worldcenter, Nitin Motwani and Art Falcone

The developers of Miami Worldcenter just won a key design modification to the massive project’s retail component.

On Wednesday, the Miami Urban Development Review Board granted a request by the Nitin Motwani and Art Falcone-led development team to tweak the facades for the $2 billion mixed-use project’s retail structure, also known as Block D.

The changes will allow Miami Worldcenter Associates to install artwork by Berlin artist Franz Ackermann on the east facade of Block D facing the Metromover tracks. In addition, the south and east facades will have an integrated projected panel system, while the north and west facades will have an extended artistic metal fin system.

Ackermann’s work has been exhibited in France, Germany and Tokyo and some of his paintings have a permanent home in New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

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“This is an exciting opportunity for Mr. Ackermann’s unique and cutting edge work to be displayed prominently in the city of Miami,” Bailine wrote. “His works are regarded as ‘riverting’ abstraction, and include a wide array of colors, shapes and textures.”

Block D, which is under construction and topped off last month, is a seven-story structure that will have 81,000 square feet of retail space and a 1,100-space parking garage. It is located on Northeast Second Avenue between Northeast Eighth and Ninth streets. The Urban Development Review Board initially approved the project in 2016.

Earlier this year, the developer closed on a $43 construction loan provided by Fifth Third Bank.

Also under construction is the 60-story, 512-unit Paramount Miami Worldcenter luxury condo tower with ground-floor retail. The developers are also planning a 45-story office tower, two apartment buildings with more than 800 units, another 200,000-plus square feet of street retail, and the Marriott Marquis convention center hotel in partnership with MDM Group.